Container

ABSTRACT

A container is disclosed which essentially comprises two containing receptacles, the mouths of which are placed in opposite directions relative to a common axis of reference. The mouths have different widths so that one of them can accommodate larger objects, whereas the other can accommodate smaller objects, for example bunches of flowers and individual flower stalks. Plastics material is preferred for embodying the subject container.

United States Patent Mari 45 1 Apr. 24, 1973 1 CONTAINER Dl67,667 9/1952Babany ..220/20 x [76] [memo-r: Enzo Mari Piazzale Bamcca' Milan2.611.499 9/1952 Mayer ..215/6 Italy FOREIGN PATENTS 0R APPLICATIONS[22] Filed: Aug. 28, 1970 1.31 1.985 11/1962 France ..220/20 Appl. No67,957

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Sept. 2, I969 Italy ..21562 A/6952 us. c1. ..220/20 [51] Int. Cl. ..BoSd H24 [58] Field of Search..220/20, 23.8; 2|5/6 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS1,519,034 12 1924 Livingston ..215/12 R Primary Examiner-Ge0rge E.Lowrance Allnrrwy-Cushman, Darby & Cushman A container is disclosedwhich essentially comprises two containing receptacles, the mouths ofwhich are placed in opposite directions relative to a common axis ofreference. The mouths have different widths so that one of them canaccommodate larger objects, whereas the other can accommodate smallerobjects, for example bunches of flowers and individual flower stalks.Plastics material is preferred for embodying the subject container.

ABSTRACT 2 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures Patented April 24, 1973 4Sheets-Sheet l y 277/20 MZ/ Patented April 24, 1973 3,729,114

4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Y INVENTOR. ZZvza fl/Zze/ Patented April 24, 1973 4Sheets-Sheet 5 j/ v 5742a $2 12 Patented April 24, 1973 4 Sheets-Sheet 4IN VEN'I'OR. ZVZQWRZ CONTAINER This invention relates to a containerhaving two cavities, whose volumes and/or sizes are different.

It is known that in many fields, especially in the field of interiordecoration, the need is felt of having a large number of containersavailable, whose kind and whose size are widely different from eachother, the same being true of the internal dimensions of the containers:this is due to the necessity of fulfilling a variety of requirementswhich can occur with a considerable frequency and which cannot beforecast or preordained, either. An indicative example is that offlowers, whose bulk may vary widely according to the species,

and which are currently used for temporary interior decoration. Usually,in order that flowers may arranged in an aesthetically satisfactorymanner, it is required that the current outfit comprise a set of potshaving widely different shapes and volumes: this fact involves, inaddition to a considerable first cost, also the shortcomings due to thebulk of the pots when these are not in use.

It has now been found, and this is the subject-matter of the presentinvention, that the drawbacks briefly outlined above can besubstantially toned down by a container, which characterized in that itcomprises two containing cavities having different volumes and/or lineardimensions, the mouths of these cavities being directed towards oppositedirections and serving, alternately, as the bases and the tops of thecontainer, respectively.

In the preferred embodiment, the container according to the presentinvention is embodied with a plastics material, and more particularly asan entity.

The basic advantage of the container according to current with anequally significant structural simplicity and sturdiness.

An equally significant advantage is the fact that it can be embodied bya moulded plastics article, a fact which involves the practicability ofa commercially acceptable output.

A further advantage is that, within a certain range, the shape and/orthe dimensions of the two containing cavities are not a function of theexternal shape of the container.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the containeraccording to the present invention will become more clearly apparentfrom the ensuing description which is given by way of example only andwithout limitation, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,wherein:

FIGS. 1A and 1B are perspective elevations of a first embodiment of thecontainer according to the present invention in two possible positions.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the container of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view, taken along the line III-III of FIG.2, and

FIGS. 4, 5, 6, and 7 are views, similar to those of FIGS. 1A, 1B offurther embodiments of the container according to the present invention.

Having initially reference to FIGS. 1A, 1B, 2 and 3, a flower pot isshown of the kind comprising a first cavity adapted to contain a bunchof flowers and a second cavity adapted to receive a single flower, suchas a rose.

The container comprises an outer frustoconical casing 11, and afrustoconical body 15 internal of the former,

and which, in combination with two radial walls 12 and a bottom wall 16,defines a partially frustoconical inner cavity 14.

As can readily be seen in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the frustoconical body 15 istapered in a direction opposite to that of the outer casing 11 and isclosed at the lesser diameter end by a bottom- 17, whereas the largerdiameter end is the mouth of the corresponding inner cavity 13. Inaddition, the same Figures clearly show that, when the container is inthe position of FIG. 1A, that is the one adapted for the use of thesmaller cavity 13, it does stably rest on the mouth of the larger cavity14, and vice versa (FIG. 1B).

In FIGS. 1A and IE it can be clearly seen that the junctions betweenradial walls 12 and frustoconical outer casing 11 consist of a doublebevel 18 having the purpose of concealing possible moulding shrinkages.In addition, inasmuch as the container is injection moulded as a singlepiece, it exhibits a slug 19 at the injection point.

The foregoing description was referred to the particular example of aflower pot, but it is apparent that other uses are possible, such aslamp stands and the like.

Having now reference to the FIGS. 4 to 7, in which 20 is the outercasing, 21 is the inner body of the easing, or a partition wall, 22 isthe cavity having the larger dimensions and 23 is the smaller cavity,the features outlined above can be clearly appreciated.

Nevertheless, the possibility of manufacturing containers according tothe present invention is not exhausted by the examples shown in thedrawings, it being understood that all the embodiments which are ideallyand structurally equivalent lie within the scope of the presentinvention.

What is claimed is:

1. A container comprising two integrated relatively invertedfrustoconical casings disposed one within the other, the inner casingbeing a complete frustoconical casing and the outer one being a partialfrustoconical casing, the smaller ends of said casings being closed andeach casing having different shaped cavities, the mouths of saidcavities pointing in opposite directions and each cavity having a bottomwall laying in the plane defined by the mouth of the other cavity, theinner frustoconical casing tapering from the larger diameter mouth ofthe cavity to its closed end; the outer partial frustoconical casingincluding generally radial walls which connect with the inner casing,said partial frustoconical casing bottom wall and radial walls form apartial frustoconical cavity, the mouth of the outer cavity being asegmental opening larger than its opposite closed end.

2. A container as in claim 1 integrally molded of plastic material.

1. A container comprising two integrated relatively invertedfrustoconical casings disposed one within the other, the inner casingbeing a complete frustoconical casing and the outer one being a partialfrustoconical casing, the smaller ends of said casings being closed andeach casing having different shaped cavities, the mouths of saidcavities pointing in opposite directions and each cavity having a bottomwall laying in the plane defined by the mouth of the other cavity, theinner frustoconical casing tapering from the larger diameter mouth ofthe cavity to its closed end; the outer partial frustoconical casingincluding generally radial walls which connect with the inner casing,said partial frustoconical casing bottom wall and radial walls form apartial frustoconical cavity, the mouth of the outer cavity being asegmental opening larger than its opposite closed end.
 2. A container asin claim 1 integrally molded of plastic material.